Warp tension bar for knitting machines



May 5, 1953 P. J. SCHOENSTER 2,637,134

WARP TENSION BAR FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 14, 1951 INVENTORPete; Jdkiioezzster @Mfiw ORNEY Patented May 5, 1 953 WARP TENSION BARFOR KNITTING MACHINES 'Peter J. Schoenster, Teaneck,'N. J., assignor toAlfred Hofmann & 00., West New York, N. J.,

a corporation Application August 14, 1951, Serial No. 241,784

6 Claims. (01. 66-146) This invention relates to tension and guide barsfor Warp knitting machines.

Warp tension bars have been proposed which are'designed for use in highspeed warp knitting machines. Such bars include a the tension controlelement thereof, extended sheets of thin gauge metal, which form aresilient cantilever for supporting the guide bar. With continuoussheets or strips of metal extending the length of the machine, it israther difiicult to insure precision control of the warp tension at allpoints along the length thereof.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide improved warptension means including resilient mounting means for the guide bar whichmay be precisely adjusted for desired yarn tensions at successive pointsalong the length of the bar.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved warp tensionmeans including spaced, individual resilient supports which mount theguide bar, each support being separately adjustable to vary the responsethereof to tensile forces derived from yarns moving over the bar,whereby the quality of the knitted fabric may be controlled and selvageyarn tensions may be suitably adjusted.

The invention accordingly consists in the combination of elements andarrangement of parts as exemplified in the embodiment herein shown anddescribed.

In the drawing; Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a warp tension barembodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawing, Ill designates a warp tension barassembly embodying the invention. The same comprises a conventionalsupport bar ll mounted on a warp knitting machine and may be mounted ina manner to permit the same to be rocked or oscillated about itslongitudinal axis. Extending at right angles to bar II, in spacedparallel relation, are a plurality of similar arm members l2 which maybe of inverted channel cross section. Each member 12 is secured at theinner end thereof to support bar II by means of a screw 13. The flangeportions H of arms [2 extend slightly beyond the web portion [5 at theouter end thereof, to provide aligned, apertured ears I6.

A second arm member ll, also of inverted channel cross section, isarticulated to each arm l2. The arm member I! has its flange portions l8slightly extended beyond the web portion I9, at the inner end thereof,to form aligned, apertured ears 2 0.

Each of the cars 20 is adapted'to register with an ear I6- and atransverse pivot pin 2| passing through the registering pairs of cars,provides a pivotal connection between each pair of arms 12, ll. Means isprovided for resiliently supporting one arm of each pair of articulatedarms, relative to the other arm. To this end, there is provided a flat,strip spring 22 which is mounted on the underside of the web portion 15of each arm i2. The spring 22 may be mounted for longitudinal movement,for the purpose hereinafter described, by forming a pair oflongitudinally aligned slots 23 in the web portion [5 of each arm 12 andpassing screws 24 through the slots and openings in spring 22. Thus, thesprings 22 may be retained in selected longitudina1 positions relativeto arm I2.

The free end portion of spring 22 underlies the web portion 19 of armll, thereby resiliently supporting the arm ll relative to arm l2. Anelongated, light, somewhat flexible yarn guide bar 25 interconnects theouter ends of arms ll, being suitably secured to projecting web portionsI9a thereof.

Yarn indicated by the dotted line 11 is adapted to move from reels, notshown, over the support bar II and guide bar 25, to be directed to theknitting elements of the machine, not shown. It is apparent, that withany change in the yarn requirement of the knitting elements, at variousportions of the knitting cycle, proper tension will be maintainedthrough the resilient support of the guide bar 25. Thus, with anincreased demand for yarn, the arms ll will be deflected downwardly asindicated by the dotted lines and with a decrease in demand for yarn y,the arms I! will be restored to their normal position by the biasingaction of springs 22. Thus, varying tensions of the moving yarn may betransmitted through the guide bar to the springs.

While the support bar ll may be fixedly attached to the frame of theknitting machine, when bar II is mounted for rocking movement, the samemay control the operation of braking means and reel drive mechanism, ina manner well known in the art and shown in Patent 2,521,218, assignedto the assignee of the instant application. In such case, if the yarntension should exceed the capacity of the spring 22, support bar II willbe rocked about the longitudinal axls thereof and thereby actuate reelcontrol mechanism connected thereto.

The resilient capacity of individual springs 22 may be suitably variedby adjusting the longitudinal position of the springs and retaining thesprings in adjusted position by mean of screws 24. Thus, the tensionresponse along guide bar 25 may be varied to provide means for obtainingmaximum quality control of the fabric bein knitted or to providedifferential yarn tensions at the selvage ends of the machine.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above describedinvention, and as various changes might be mad in the embodiment setforth, it is understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in thedrawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a'limitingsense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent:

1. In a warp knitting machine, a support, a warp guide bar and means formounting said guide bar on said support comprising a pair ofinterpivoted arms, one of said arms "being connected to said bar andresilient means extending between said arms 'for .resiliently-supportingsaid arms relative to each other.

2. In a warp knittingmachine, a-supporaaplurality of spaced parallelarms extending from saidsupport, an-arm pivoted to eachofsaid-firstmentioned arms, a warp guide bar interconnecting said second mentionedarms, and a strip spring -member extending between each pair or pivotedarms for resiliently supporting said arms relative to each other.

3. In a knitting machine as in claim 2, wherein saidspring member islongitudinallymovable relative to said pivoted pair of arms and meansfor retaining said spring member in adjusted longitudinal'positionsthereof.

4. In a warp knitting machine, an elongated support, a plurality ofspaced parallel arms extending from said support, an arm articulated toeach of said first mentioned arms, a warp guide bar interconnecting saidsecond mentioned arms, and a strip spring member fixed to one of eachpair of articulated 'arms and having a portion engaging the other .ofeach pair oi articulated arms to resiliently support said articulatedarms relative to each other.

5. In a warp knitting machine as in claim 4,

wherein said support may be rocked about the longitudinal axis thereof.

6. In a warp knitting machine, a support, warp tension means including awarp guide bar andmeans :for mounting said guide bar on said supportcomprising a, plurality of independent, spaced resilient meansinterconnecting said bar and "said support at spaced intervals alongsaid bar, and means on each of said resilient means for adjusting theresilient capacity thereof.

PETER J. SCI-IOEI'ISTER.

References Cited in "the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

